<p>When I get graduation announcements, I always send a monetary gift to the graduate. But what about our own kids? We already spent $$$ on the education. Does anybody buy any sort of memento for their graduating students?</p>
<p>For our daughter, we gave her a charm bracelet with three charms meaningful to her college experience.</p>
<p>Not there yet, but maybe a photo from the ceremonies (if your student participated) or some other meaningful event from their college experience. Put it in a nice frame :)</p>
<p>My sisters and I received pearls. In fact, it has been the college graduation gift for every woman in my family for five generations. My brother received the family crest ring – which he would have gotten had he not graduated, but it worked out that it fell near his 21st birthday. My brother in law got a watch.</p>
<p>I got this: <a href=“http://store.thecoop.com/coopstore/servlet/com.bst.servlets.EStoreWebControlServlet?object=EStoreProductSelection&method=getProductInfo&productuno=26427[/url]”>http://store.thecoop.com/coopstore/servlet/com.bst.servlets.EStoreWebControlServlet?object=EStoreProductSelection&method=getProductInfo&productuno=26427</a> when I graduated. I believe other colleges have them too.</p>
<p>Mathmom, the link takes you to the homepage, which includes pictures of the Dr. Seuss infant collection and flannel underwear - somehow I doubt either was your graduation gift ;)</p>
<p>Oh bother. I guess I should have checked to see if the link would work. It should have taken you to a picture of a Harvard Chair. They are a style that I think is called a Captain’s Chair. All wood, with the college seal on the back (where you lean against it.)</p>
<p>Here I bet this link will work: [College</a> Chairs, Captain’s Chair, Commemorative Chairs , Alumni Chairs, Award Chair, Standard Chair of Gardner](<a href=“http://www.standardchair.com/]College”>http://www.standardchair.com/)</p>
<p>Oh right! My h got one when he finished MBA school - that’s a great gift :)</p>
<p>We framed their diplomas in nice mats and frames - most college bookstores have this service.<br>
Oh, and we paid for their educations!</p>
<p>My son keeps mentioning a car…</p>
<p>Our D1 is suppose to owe us some money for her college education. If she does well, we’ll forgive the loan.</p>
<p>Our Ds worked out a deal with their dad. If they earned a certain percentage of scholarship $$$ he would buy them a car. Worked for D1 and now we are shopping for D2.</p>
<p>I’ve been making Roth IRA contributions into my child’s account. I just put in $4000 for 2008. That should cover it for graduation, birthday, and Christmas.</p>
<p>Kids may not appreciate a Roth IRA today and may want a more tangible current gift, but they will certainly appreciate the IRA when they get older and the parents are gone.</p>
<p>When my kids finished high school we bought them each a book, one chosen with careful consideration. When they graduate from college I imagine we’ll do the same.</p>
<p>My son and my nephew both traveled to a country in Europe together as children and my son returned and lived there to study while at Duke. I have found six place settings of dishes for each of them from this country…in a very masculine style…second hand but still very cool design. </p>
<p>I also got my son a frying pan from over there that is excellent quality…</p>
<p>I am already scouting out second hand furniture…son has a job and will need a few things</p>
<p>Being practical sorts, we gave our son $1500 to furnish his first apartment. He was grateful and Ikea was assured profitability that month.</p>
<p>Being practical sorts, we gave our son $1500 to furnish his first apartment. He was grateful and Ikea was assured profitability that month.</p>
<p>DS had a specific item he needed to buy upon graduation. He let everyone know what that item was and dedicated all of his graduation gift money towards that item. We contributed to that as well.</p>
<p>Money for working wardrobe. 4 years of sweatpants and tshirts don’t cut it in the business world.</p>
<p>I’m weighing gifts right now. I’m thinking about a $500 gift card for a replacement laptop, since S’s computer lasted for four years of undergrad. I got a diploma frame already (got one from the companies that mail solicitations…), and bought S the video and book of the Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. </p>
<p>S is also going to law school, so I bought a Black’s Law Dictionary and Blue Book to get him started. S is hard-to-fit, and I’m also weighing a $500 HongKong suit gift cert now that he’s a grownup. I know we’ll go out to brunch too. </p>
<p>Not a gift for him but a gift for me…I will be making an appt for a good graduation picture when he comes home for Spring break.</p>
<p>I know that the other kids will be watching, since S is the first to graduate college. I hope to keep it about $1,000 but it’s obviously inching over.</p>